Seven million people at risk of starvation across six countries in East Africa 

Apr 7, 2021 by

from World Vision:

More than seven million people across six countries in East Africa are on the brink of starvation. If the international community does not act now, thousands of children could face long-term health consequences or die, warns World Vision International.

Andrew Morley, World Vision International President & CEO, said: ”The world needs to wake up now. Millions of children are being pushed to the brink of starvation. They are facing a deadly cocktail of conflict, climate change and the crushing aftershocks of COVID-19. I’ve seen first-hand the devastating impact of malnutrition in many places we work. It robs children of their childhood, denying them the opportunity to achieve their God-given potential.”

It is estimated that more than 108,000 people in East Africa are under catastrophic famine-conditions, marked by critical acute malnutrition, starvation, destitution and death. Additionally, almost 7 million people are one step away from famine, and as many as 26 million require urgent action to prevent them sliding into the same acute situation.

“We are marshalling resources to support vulnerable communities across East Africa, to avert the catastrophic effects of hunger, starvation and loss of livelihoods particularly on children,” said Joseph Kamara, Regional Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Director for World Vision East Africa. “It is not too late to avert the crisis, but it will be soon, if we don’t act quickly and decisively.”

The East Africa region has endured substantial and widespread breeding of desert locusts since late 2019, resulting in loss of pasture and crops. During the second half of 2020, large-scale floods destroyed ready to harvest crops of more than four million people across the region. Furthermore, the region is gripped by protracted crises and fragility in several countries compounded by the new conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia, which has dramatically increased food insecurity.

Read here

Also: Food Insecurity Crisis Mounting in Africa, by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies

 

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